ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chest — a box
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bass — low music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com